Bitlis

History

The origin of the name Bitlis is not known. A popular folk etymology explanation, without historical basis, is that it is derived from "Lis/Batlis", the name of a general said to have built Bitlis castle by the order of Alexander the Great. To Armenians, it was known as Balalesa or Baghaghesh, and later Baghesh. According to one popular Armenian folk story, on a cold, wintry day a donkey escaped from its stable and wandered down to the Jlifat valley below. The donkey became trapped in the snow and froze to death. It was only discovered a week later, once the snow had melted; thus, it received the name , or "Cold Donkey." Baghesh was one of the most important cities of the Kingdom of Armenia's province of Aghdznik', and it served as the primary fortress of the province's canton of Salnodzor. The Arabs conquered Baghesh at the end of the seventh century and it eventually became the capital of the Zurārid emirs of Arzan. Because it was on an important trade route, it prospered greatly. The next two centuries, however, marked a turbulent period in the town's history. After Bugha al-Kabir's destructive 852-855 campaign in Armenia, the Shaybanid emirs wrested control of Baghesh from the Zurārids; thereafter, in the first quarter of the tenth century, it was taken by the Kaysite emirs of Manzikert. In his 929-30 campaign against the Kaysites, the Byzantine general John Curcuas was able to capture and annex Baghesh. For centuries, Bitlis and nearby Kurdish principalities were deeply influenced by Persian language and culture through their ties with Persian-centered empires. Persian was the language of administration, used by Sufis, poets, merchants, and scholars. Bitlis’s elites adopted Persian to align with the broader Persianate world. From the 14th century, Persian…

Most-observed species

• Hooded Crow

  Corvus cornix Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  13
• Eurasian Magpie

  Pica pica (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  12
• Rock Pigeon

  Columba livia J.F.Gmelin, 1789 · Aves
  11
• Rook

  Corvus frugilegus Linnaeus, 1758 · Aves
  10
• House Sparrow

  Passer domesticus (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9
• Western Jackdaw

  Coloeus monedula (Linnaeus, 1758) · Aves
  9
• Loweia tityrus (Poda, 1761)

  Loweia tityrus (Poda, 1761) · Insecta
  8
• Armenian Gull

  Larus armenicus Buturlin, 1934 · Aves
  8